Interventional radiologists at Overlake Imaging Associates perform a variety of interventional procedures that are ordered for the therapeutic treatment of pain. These procedures can be classified into two main groups—pain interventions for the cervical, thoracic and lumbar areas of the spine; and treatments for cancerous growths in the liver, lungs or kidneys. 

Therapeutic procedures for chronic pain involve the injection of a pain relief medication, often an anesthetic or steroid, into the problem area. For treating internal organs afflicted with cancer, a special probe is inserted to “burn” or “freeze” cancerous tumors without physically cutting them out.

The injection procedures listed below are performed by OIA interventional radiologists. They usually take between 30 to 60 minutes. In most cases, patients will be able to go home soon after the procedure. Information on these procedures can be accessed by clicking on the appropriate links below.

Facet Joint Injection
Selective Nerve Root Blocks
Sympathetic Nerve Block
Epidural Steroid Injection (ESI)

OIA interventional radiologists also perform interventional treatments for pain relief and stabilization of fractured or compressed vertebra of the spine. For more information on these therapies, view the Vertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty page and/or the Spine Interventions page in this section of the website.

Women experiencing chronic pelvic pain caused by uterine fibroids can also look to OIA for treatment. Using a non-surgical technique called uterine artery embolization (UAE), the interventional radiologist blocks blood flow to the fibroids—killing the tissue, shrinking the tumors and relieving symptoms. UAE can often be an alternative to having a hysterectomy.

Another cutting-edge pain therapy offered by OIA interventional radiologist provides pain relief for patients with certain types of liver cancer. The treatment, called chemoembolization of liver tumors, involves injecting chemotherapy directly into the blood vessels that feed the liver tumor. For more detailed information on this treatment procedure, follow the link above.

Pain Therapy Guidelines

The following guidelines provide general information about the pain therapy procedures performed by OIA. To learn more about specific therapies and what to expect before, during and after a procedure, click on the various links listed above.

When Your Procedure Is Scheduled

• Our scheduler will give you a date and time for your procedure at Overlake Hospital Medical Center. You will need to arrive at the hospital two hours before the procedure to allow the admitting and nursing staffs to get you ready.
  
• Please let the scheduler know if you take Coumadin, Plavix, Insulin or Metformin. You will need to receive specialized instructions.
  
• If you take BLOOD THINNERS OR ANTIPLATELET medications, such as Coumadin, Heparin. Plavix or Lovenox, please contact the prescribing physician to discuss your risk of stopping these medications in advance of your test/procedure. We require that Coumadin is stopped for 5 days prior to your test/procedure, and that Plavix is stopped for 7 days prior to your test/procedure. Please call and speak with an interventional nurse at 425-688-5005 for further instructions or if you have questions about your medications. Your procedure will be canceled if these medications have not been stopped.
  
• Please notify us if you’ve had a previous reaction to contrast dye.
  
• The admitting department will attempt to call you the night before your procedure to confirm your arrival time.
  
• Please plan to leave any jewelry or valuables at home.
  
• Make sure to arrange for someone to drive you home after the procedure. If a driver is unavailable, the procedure will be canceled per hospital policy. We must be able to contact your driver before, during and after your procedure either by phone or pager. *You must be healthy on the day of the exam. You cannot have a fever, infection, sore throat or cough. If you have concerns regarding your current health, please call and speak with an interventional nurse at 425-688-5005.
  
• If you have any questions regarding your procedure, please call us at 425-688-5005 anytime Monday thru Friday from 8AM to 4PM.

Preparation

• You will need to be at the hospital’s admitting area two hours before you procedure’s scheduled start time. This is located at the large desk at the hospital’s main entrance (across from Stanza’s Café).
  
• Wear loose comfortable clothing. A sweat suit is optional.
  
• Please withhold pain medication for at least 2 hours prior to the exam time. If you are receiving pain medication by skin patch, you must call and speak with an interventional nurse at 425-688-5005 for further instructions.
• You may bring pain medication with you to take after the procedure, if desired.
  
• Do not eat or drink for 4 hours before your exam.
  
• You may bring a snack with you to eat after the procedure; a drink will be provided.
  
• Please take your normal heart and blood pressure medications with a sip of water.
  
• Insulin-dependent diabetics, please note:
  
  • If your exam is before 12 noon, do not eat or take any diabetic medication
    before the procedure. Bring your medication with you.
    
  • If your exam is at 12 noon or after, please eat breakfast before 7AM. and take your pill or your morning dose of insulin. Bring your medication with you.
    
• You will be taken down to your room where you will meet your nurse and be asked to change into a patient gown.
  
• An IV will be started and blood drawn for lab tests. The nurse will ask you for your medical history. If possible, bring a list of all the medications you take and when you take them.
  
• The nurse will also ask you about allergies. If you are allergic to radiology/contrast dye please let them know.
  
• If there is a possibility that you’re pregnant, please let the nurse know. You will be asked to sign a form if you are a female of childbearing age (12-57).
  
• The nurse or tech will clean and shave, as necessary, an area around the needle’s point of entry.
  
• Before the procedure, the interventional nurse will meet with you and your family to review the procedure and answer any questions you might have.

What to Expect During the Procedure

• The procedure takes approximately 1 hour. You will meet the interventional radiologist who will go over the consent form and answer any questions you might still have.
  
• You will receive sedation medication during the procedure to help you relax.
  
• During the procedure you might feel warmth, tingling or flushing when you are given the contrast dye. This usually lasts about 10 seconds.
  
• During the procedure the nurse will be monitoring your heart, blood pressure and the oxygen level in your blood.
  
• Once the procedure is over you will be transferred back to your room.

What to Expect After the Procedure

• Your blood pressure, pulse and puncture site will be monitored very frequently by the nurse.
  
• You will be encouraged to drink a lot of fluids to help wash the contrast out of your system. You will need to continue to drink fluids for the first 24 hours after your procedure, unless your physician has limited your fluid intake.
  
• Most patients will be discharged about 6 hours after their procedure.
  
• You will be given written instructions and a phone number to call if you have any questions or concerns.
  
• One of the interventional nurses will do a follow-up call the next week-day after your discharge. Write down any questions you might have for them.
  
• To speak to an interventional nurse, please call 425-688-5005. It is best to call between 8AM and 4PM Monday thru Friday. You can leave a message on the voicemail, and a nurse will return your call as soon as possible.
  
• If you are on Coumadin and have been told not to take it before your procedure, you need to check with your physician, and/or the Anti-Coagulation Clinic for instructions.
  
• If you are on Metformin/Glucophage, withhold taking it for 48 hours post procedure. Check with the physician who ordered the medication on when to restart it. Additional blood work may be required.
  
• If you an insulin-dependent diabetic, restart your regular dosing when you get home. Check your sugar regularly and if you have a concern, contact your diabetic doctor.
  
• You may resume taking all of your normal medications once you are home.
  
• If you are in physical therapy, check with your physician before resuming treatment. We recommend delaying any physical therapy for 48 to 72 hours post procedure.

What is Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain afflicts more than 80 million Americans and is caused by an array of diagnosed and undiagnosed conditions. Defined as continuous pain that lasts for a month or more, chronic pain may continue undiminished for a long period and then abate. It may remain dormant for an extended time or it may return quickly, often with more severity.

For those who suffer from it, chronic pain causes acute distress both mentally and physically. It can negatively impact one’s livelihood, relationships, activity levels and peace of mind. While new interventional techniques and therapies are providing critical relief for some patients, clinicians are still often baffled by how to diagnose and treat the ongoing pain experienced by their patients.